Data security is a hot issue in just about every industry. Because more businesses rely on e-commerce, online marketing and virtual support than ever before, it follows that data security concerns are paramount.

When data is transferred across the internet, it can potentially be accessed or stolen by anyone – but only if data security is sub-par. For industries that deal with sensitive information, this is an especially important consideration. The good news is that IT outsourcing services provide an effective – and cost-effective – solution. Indeed, the growth of IT outsourcing services for data security has exploded over the last decade.

To be sure, different industries have different data security concerns. Here are some examples of how specific industries are using IT outsourcing services to better protect their data:

Health IT: The healthcare industry was one of the first to make data security a pressing issue during the beginning of the computer age. Things haven’t changed much, except that almost all hospitals now rely on health IT to access vital patient information. Thus, keeping patient records secure from unauthorized access is a major concern. IT outsourcing services help alleviate this concern by providing robust security support and monitoring tools.

Online retail: Anytime a customer purchases something from an online retailer, secure credit card information, contact information and other details are exchanged. If data security is lax, this information can be intercepted or stolen from of a retailer’s internal database. IT outsourcing enables retailers to shift the burden of security to the experts so they can focus on what they do best: online sales.

Software development: Data security is a huge concern for software developers due to the possibility of copyright infringement. If code or other data resources are copied by a virtual trespasser, patents can be stolen and sensitive material can become public. One way to avoid this is by letting an IT outsourcing services provider set up a virtual, secure server for you and your staff to access, store and make code changes. This creates a secure firewall between your software development and the outside world.

Government agencies: For this industry, above all others, data security is of maximum concern. Not only do government agencies keep vital records of people for very important reasons – tax records, legal records, social services, etc. – they also keep highly classified records about foreign agencies, criminals, militaries and politically sensitive issues. Should this data fall into the wrong hands, it could be a matter of national security. Hence, many government agencies use IT outsourcing services in addition to in-house security. Having an outsourcing partner provides a second layer of security, as well as immediate assistance if a problem arises.